@Kardster: he says the letters are "invisible to the naked eye." black letters over a brownish green background, probably a few layers below what we see on the surface. Their size isn't the issue - it's that they were covered by more paint. Modern scanning tech has allowed us to "dig" deeper than our eyes can see.

I've taken my Mazdaspeed3 up to 148mph when it was stock, and it's significantly faster, quicker, and lighter on its feet now that I've made some adjustments... I'm hard pressed to think of anything else I've driven that can really outperform it. The only one that comes to mind is a friend's Dinan-tuned '09 335i. …

@daytripper1: the shells would be "smart" weapons. Note the reference to GPS guidance - that's onboard each shell. They wouldn't be self-propelled or carry explosive payload, but they'd have a small computer, battery, and control surfaces/mechanisms for course correction.

@DaveExile: But we already implement nuclear reactors, so that's a bit of a moot point. Reducing the presence of High Explosives makes everything more stable.

@senorbelly: haha, everything's seems to be about perspective these days.

@Spartanical: that depends entirely on your target demographic. In Japan, for example, I imagine you'd be in high demand.

@resu427: well I'll be. Take that, theory! The real world strikes again.

@resu427: and they're being built by Austal down in Mobile, if I recall correctly.

@clank-o-tron: all the red on the front page is making my eyes bleed! You'd think they'd be better at market research - as in their research would show that Jalopnik is decidedly NOT a viable market for them until they build something worthwhile.

@pauljones: I gotta get my adrenaline somewhere, eh? We'll see where the Navy puts me. I'm still a ways away from all that.

Smaller crew, as well. Over time that should more than make up for the up front costs... too bad the Feds only think short term.

@pauljones: agreed. The planing hull in the L/M design is faster and all (cheaper too), but absolutely everything else about the G/D design appeals so much more

@Oppo-S2K: the current order is for two of each, and the Navy'll do a comparo to figure out how they want to proceed. The final count will be about 55 ships, I believe.

@thisISaRant...: and to be fair, the run of the mill MKT is already as tall as conventional hearses. Bumping it up more isn't a kind move

@thisISaRant...: ahh, true. The combination of those two factors does give it a relatively long and narrow "band" of windows that emphasizes the bulk of the thing.

@thisISaRant...: ...it's a hearse, what do you expect? Every hearse I've ever seen (in person or online) has fit your description perfectly.

@DS: there have already been 5 steps...

reminds me of that super trippy Steve McQueen/Field of Dreams commercial for the 2005 Mustang...

Good Lord! The implication here is that there are humans capable of deboning more than 8 hams per minute! That's absurd.

@DrForbidden: No prob. And your concerns are certainly justified... Arsenic poisoning could suck on so many different levels...